One of my favorite features in the last issue was “60 Ways to Have a Southern Wedding.” Pretty appropriate for Southern Weddings magazine, no? Being the native Northerner I am, I learned a lot from the experts we polled; I hope even our born-and-bred Southern readers came away with a few new ideas! Here, a few of the most delightful nuggets from the piece, along with a few of the sweet images from Simply Bloom Photography:
No. 9. Stamped and sealed. “The traditional Southern bride loves engraved invitations on cream paper in black writing with the family crest centered at the top,” notes North Carolina wedding planner Ivy Robinson. “I like putting a spin on this by taking the crest and letterpressing it into a bellyband around the invitation.” Don’t have a family crest? Commission a designer to create a modern, light-hearted take on the old-school imagery that you and your husband’s new family will be able to use for years to come.
12. Gardenia girls. “Rather than dropping petals down the aisle, have your ‘flower girls’ hand a traditional Southern flower (magnolias, gardenias, freesia, wisteria) to each lady as she is seated for the ceremony,” suggests California wedding planner Lisa Vorce, owner of Oh, How Charming!. “Gardenias are perfect for hair florals, and everyone loves the smell of them.” Pass out hair pins for ease of styling.
22. Grit and bear it. Mashed potato bars? Delicious, but not particularly Southern. A grits bar? Southern through and through. Set out cheese, gourmet salts, bacon, honey, brown sugar, hominy, and shrimp for mix-ins, and have an attendant standing by ready to grind fresh black pepper.
30. Sno-to-go. Rent a sno-cone truck, suggests Erika Firm, designer and president of Delphine. “Mint julep sno-cones are fabulous and pretty. Be sure to add a sprig of mint on top, and hand out short straws, as well.” Perfect for hot Southern summers!
56. Man about town. “Elegant, charming, and gentlemanly ushers and groomsmen are inherent to a Southern wedding,” remarks Marcy Blum, event planner and entertaining expert. Help your male counterparts rise to the occasion by gently reminding them of their responsibilities on the big day, and keep them on task by printing out wallet-sized schedules of the day’s events for reference when guests inevitably ask them for assistance.
60. Good gracious. “Most of all, something Southern that will never change is being a gracious host,” summarizes Tara Guerard, principal and lead designer of wedding planning company Soiree. “It’s all about being attentive to your guests and their experience at the wedding — making sure that the lights are never too bright, the music never too loud to have a conversation, the food and drink plentiful and easy to access, the entertainment well organized and appropriate. It’s making sure that there is comfortable seating, a great view of the dance floor and a clear understanding of the evening’s schedule. You want your guests to feel happy that they attended your wedding, and not that it was a chore.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
A peek at the inside…
Be sure to grab a copy of the newest issue to soak in the other 54 very Southern suggestions!
This was seriously my favorite feature in the last issue. I think I spent a few hours reading it. No lie. :)